Parenta July 2020 Magazine

Mark-making in
early years
• Have sharp pencils and good
quality pens for children to use
and plenty of water based paints!
• If a child is struggling to hold a
pencil properly, encourage them
to hold a much shorter, thicker
pencil or a broken off bit of
chalk – this naturally encourages
a proper grip, rather than a
‘technically correct’ grip.
What is mark-making?
The term ‘mark-making’ refers to the
creation of different patterns, lines,
textures and shapes – in effect, the
‘scribbles’ - that young children make
with various tools (pens, pencils,
chalk, paintbrushes, crayons etc.) It is
one of the earliest stages of writing
and helps to form an essential part of
developing both gross and fine motor
skills in children.
Why is it important?
Writing is a skill that we take for
granted as adults. Like so many other
skills acquired in our early childhood,
writing is something that must be
learnt gradually. Mark-making isn’t
just about ‘teaching children to write’.
It’s so much more than that. It is
crucial for children’s development
because as well as enabling a child
to learn to write, making marks can
benefit a child physically, and also
help to develop their imagination and
creative skills.
Children can mark-make using a
variety of implements – ranging from
a finger to a paintbrush, stick, pen,
pencil or piece of chalk – whatever
they like! As long as they are using
the muscles in their hand and arm to
make different shapes, then they are
on their way to becoming a writer.
Top tips
• Always try and offer fun,
interesting, engaging and
multisensory ways to mark-make
and your children will be on their
way to mastering the physical
side of writing!
• A child is far more likely to want
to mark-make if it feels good –
and is messy too!
Apart from the obvious developmental
benefits that mark-making brings, it
also gives children the opportunity to
express themselves in a non-verbal
way. Generally, between the ages of
2 and 3, the marks children make in
this way start to have meaning. They
use it as a way to share their thoughts
and feelings, giving practitioners a
new insight into their lives that they
didn’t have before. It builds on their
understanding of the world and
allows them to tell a story, or create a
‘gift’ for someone or record what they
see. This could be the first time that
you have seen the children express
themselves, other than verbally or
with body language.
Physical development
To be able to control a writing
implement, children must first develop
their hand-eye coordination. Then,
they must build up the muscles in
their hands, their arms and even
in their shoulders. Throwing balls,
climbing, running and jumping will all
help to refine the large muscle groups
that children need in order to write.
There is no rush!
Learning to write is a gradual process.
It needs to be taught in an active and
engaging way over a period of time.
We know that children develop at
different rates so they will all learn to
write at a different pace.
Skills and abilities needed for
writing
To be able to write, children need the
following skills and abilities which
can take time to develop which is why
mark-making is so important:
• Gross and fine muscle control
• Hand-eye co-ordination
• A positive attitude and interest in
writing
• Ability to grip a pencil
• Ability to recognise and recreate
patterns and shapes
• Knowing how and what to write,
according to the defined purpose
A good sign that children are
progressing well through their markmarking
journey is when they progress
to being able to use thick felt tips or
crayons to make circular or straight
lines on a piece of paper. Then, at
around 4 years old, children begin to
write their first words, starting with
their name. Some of the letters may
be reversed or missed out of the word
completely, but this is an important
milestone. From now on, children
can proudly sign their name on the
drawings and artwork that they’ve
created – and you can pass these on
to proud parents!
Here are some top tips and games
that you can use in your setting to help
the children on their mark-making and
writing journey:
• Make sure you always have plenty
of pens, crayons, chalks etc. and
paper too so the children can
mark-make whenever they feel
like it, not just at allocated times
of the day. Children who have the
freedom and opportunity to make
marks and draw are more likely to
engage in the process of writing.
• Non-permanent mark-making
using different coloured chalks
and allowing the children to draw
on patios, walls and pavements
is great fun, particularly in the
warmer weather.
• Using mud, sand, paint (and snow
if you have an outside space) will
stick in the children’s minds and
will motivate them to want to do
more.
• Using scarves and ribbons to
make letters and numbers in the
air can be made into a dancing
game and will keep the children
engaged for hours!
• A firm favourite is a game where
the children use their fingers to
draw on their friend’s backs – it is
sure to bring many giggles to your
setting!
• Although not mark-making,
supporting children to manage
buttons, zips and put on their
clothes will help them master their
hand control.
• Doing jigsaw puzzles, building
Lego and threading beads on
to laces will also help children
develop those fine motor skills
which are so crucial for writing.
And finally…
Praise effort rather than outcome.
Children who are corrected frequently
may become exasperated or lose
interest in the writing process.
Conversely, those who receive praise
for their mark-marking and efforts to
write will naturally want to keep trying
and will inevitably get better over time.
Remember that it’s important for
children to see adults making the
effort to write and mark-make. This
helps them to realise that we live in a
world where marks are valuable and
provide meaning. Ensure that you role
model this and you will have a setting
full of children who can’t wait to start
their writing journey!
28 July 2020 | parenta.com
parenta.com | July 2020 29